Deals and decisions

Shoppers from all income levels were out in force at Newport-Mesa malls and stores Friday. They were scouting around for post-Thanksgiving Day bargains on clothes and electronics on Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season.

Black Friday 2009 promised to attract more shoppers to South Coast Plaza, as the upscale shopping center recorded a 6% increase in sales by early afternoon, compared with last year. But while many were out shopping, others, who are still struggling with the economic downturn, were shopping more conservatively or cutting out spending wherever they could.

At South Coast Plaza, there was little room for parking as well as walking, as customers from all over Orange County and visitors from other countries raced to the stores to buy gifts for family and friends.

At least one local politician was among the crowd of shoppers. For Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley, shopping on Black Friday is a tradition. She and mother-in-law Mary Swanson shop at South Coast Plaza every year. Friday marked their ninth Black Friday together. By the early afternoon, Swanson was almost done buying Christmas gifts for her grandchildren.

But there were also newcomers to Black Friday, such as Bari Burns. The 52-year-old Laguna Beach resident usually shops online, but this year she decided to spend the day out shopping with her granddaughter Lauryn. Even though Burns loves to shop, this year she’s keeping to a tight and cautious shopping budget.

“We’re trying to make the dollar go farther this year,” she said.

Because her family is in the construction business, the economy has had a negative impact on their pocketbook, she explained. As a result, she’s learned to look for the better deals in the stores and online.

Burns took her granddaughter to her favorite store at South Coast Plaza, Puzzle Zoo. Lauryn picked out a game for herself, while Burns also picked out gifts for the rest of her grandchildren.

Although she found other items she’d like to buy, Burns said she will first go home and match the prices online before buying. If the stores had the better deal, she said, she plans to return.

The crowd included a family from New Zealand, which was visiting the U.S. on as tourists, and found themselves at South Coast Plaza without knowing that it was the busiest shopping day of the year.